Composite parts have become commonly used throughout industry because of their engineering qualities and low weight. However, despite the recognized benefits of this type of parts and their wide use, they are relatively expensive, in part because the manufacturing processes for producing these parts remain clumsy and difficult to use, contributing high reject and rework rates for composite parts.
Previous processes for making composite parts require the construction and/or formation of the part in a bond assembly jig (BAJ). If the part has a core, the core is applied on the BAJ. Once the core is bonded onto the part, the part is removed from the BAJ and inserted into a bond mill fixture (BMF) tool. The BMF allows the core to be shaped into a desired configuration through cutting of the core. Once cut to the desired configuration, the part is returned to the BAJ to complete the formation or construction of the composite part by applying a final layer or layers of ply, for example, plies of resin-impregnated fiberglass or graphite cloth. The formed part is again removed from the BAJ and again inserted into the BMF. In the BMF the part can be shaped to a final desired shape through a final trimming.
Typically, composite parts are used in cooperation with other components and/or composite parts. For example, in the aerospace industry, composite parts are used as housings for engines and other structures of aircrafts. As such, many composite parts require additional hardware to be fixed to the composite part to allow the composite part to cooperate with other parts. As such, once the composite part is finally trimmed to the desired shape, the part is removed from the BMF and inserted into yet a third tool, a fixture assembly jig (FAJ). Again this FAJ tool has to be specially designed to coordinate with the BAJ and the BMF used in manufacturing the composite part. Once secured in the FAJ, the hardware devices are tool located and hand mounted to the composite part. The tool locating and the hand mounting result in inaccuracies and inconsistency because of tolerance build-up or accumulation between tools.
This process is time consuming and costly. It requires the use of three separate tools which are very costly, especially for large parts, and it requires much hand manipulation of the part during removal from and positioning onto the three tools.
The present invention advantageously addresses the above and other needs.